Molded pulp cushion pad



w. J. DEREAMER 2,414,724

MOLDED PULP CUSHION PAD Filed Sept. 28, 1945 T f A 7 lug, av}

Patented Jan. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOLDED PULP CUSHION PAD William J. De Reamer, Crown Point, Ind, assignor to Mapes Consolidated Manufacturing Company, Griffith, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application September 28, 1945, Serial No. 619,186

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in packing material and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. The material herein shown and described is in the form of a molded pulp cushion pad especially adapted for use in connection with upper and lower cellular fillers in a conventional egg case.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a pad of this kind which is so constructed as to engage parts of the strips of cellular fillers, used above and below the same, in a manner coacting to lock each other against relative lat eral shifting and thus prevent rocking action of the eggs under impact and which would otherwise cause a breakage of the eggs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pad of this kind which is provided with egg receiving cups or seats of novel construction on its upper surface, having at least eight egg engageable areas that accommodate several sizes of eggs, with a similar number of channels between said areas for a free air circulation under and around the bottom end of the egg placed 7 in the cup or seat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pad of this kind having an octagonally shaped egg receiving cup or seat, which has a better resistance to downward pressures, tending to crush or collapse the same, than has heretofore been possible.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a pad of this kind wherein the egg receiving cups or seats are so shaped as not only to resist deformation but also to provide greater areas therebetween to make it easier to form in said areas grooves or channels which lock parts of the fillers used with the pad against lateral shifting.

Again, it is an object of the invention to provide a pad of this kind which not only readily nests with others in a stack, but which provides a better pack for eggs by tying all of the pads and fillers together in a case as a unit to prevent lateral shifting or slipping therebetween.

Still furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide in a pad of this kind a novel filler strip locking groove or channel around the outer rows of egg cups or seats, and which holds the outer strips of the filler against the adjacent side of said cups thereby adding strength to these parts of said filler strips.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with several advantages thereof will more fully appear as the speciflcation proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View on a full size scale, of the egg receiving side of a corner fragment of the improved pad, a part of a cell forming filler used therewith apearing in dotted lines thereon.

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view through a part of the pad fragment appearing in Fig. 1 as taken on the line 22 thereof.

Fig. 3 is another detail vertical sectional view through a part of the pad fragment as taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is still another detail vertical sectional view through a part of the pad fragment as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a number of pads disposed, with associated cellular fillers between them, in a part of a standard egg case.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, each pad, which is made of molded pulp material, is a scant 11 inches square and is of uniform stock thickness throughout on the order of 1 5 inch. It includes a fiat sheet-like body III and upon the upper face of the body is a plurality of longitudinal and transverse intersecting upwardly raised molded hollow ribs II-II respectively. These ribs, which extend to the edges of the body are spaced apart to accord with the spacing between the intersecting strips [2-42 of a conventional egg case filler, and provide downwardly facing or opening channels I3I3 in the underface or bottom of the body. The raised hollow ribs I I--II are interrupted to provide the saddles 2| later described.

The upwardly raised ribs II-II and saddles 2I define a plurality of square areas I4 (see Fig. l) on the body which register with the cells I5 (see Fig. 5) formed by the strips I2 of the fillers used with the pad.

Within each area is formed an egg receiving cup or seat It of octagonal shape and which is constituted of alternate and intermediate pairs of inner and outer walls III'Ia and I8I8a respectively, which converge toward the top to join as a top end ridge I9, The inner walls I! and I 8 of said pairs of walls converge inwardly and downwardly from the ridge I9 and join with a rectangular bottom 20 for each cup or seat, and which bottom is disposed in a plane above the plane of the top of the ribs I I-I I as best appears in Fig, 2.

The outer side walls Ila of each alternate pair of walls extend downwardly and outwardly from the ridge -I9 to merge into saddle parts 2| (see Fig. 3) disposed above the top of the adjacent ribs but in line therewith so as to define upwardly opening channels 22 between adjacent cups or seats, as best appears in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be noted from said figures that said channels are relatively wide at the open top end and relatively narrow at the closed bottom end as provided by the saddle parts 2|2l. The outer walls Ila of the alternate pairs of walls that merge into the parts 29 along those ribs adjacent the edges l2-l?. of the body It! have associated therewith shoulder-like parts 2323, which define stops engaged by bottom marginal parts of the associated outer filler strips to prevent their lateral shifting or movement in the direction of the plane of the body.

The outer wall parts I811 of the intermediate pairs of walls lt-lSa extend downwardly and outwardly from said ridge I!) to join the inside corner parts of the body near the intersection of the hollow ribs ll-I I and also merging into said ribs.

At the intersecting parts of the hollow ribs I l-I l, between each four adjacent cups or seats l6l 6, said parts of said ribs define in the underside of said body intersecting grooves of substantial length to receive and hold the top marginal intersecting parts of the filler below.

In Fig.5 I have illustrated a fragment of a pack comprising the improved pads and associated fillers when disposed in a part of a standard egg case, the bottom of which is indicated at 24 and one end of which is indicated at 25.

In arranging a pack as mentioned, one of the improved pads is placed with its body It! engaged on the bottom 24 of the egg case. A cellular filler, composed of sets of intersecting strips l2-l2, is then placed in the case with those bottom marginal parts of the strips thereof, between the intersections of the strips, resting upon the saddle parts 2I-'2I of the pad, in line with but above the hollow ribs. In this respect it will be noted that the'open side of the grooves'22-22 will guide said parts of the filler strips into engagement upon the saddle parts.

An egg E is placed in each cell l5, preferably bottom end down, which end will engage at eight points or areas on the inner walls I! and [8 of the associated cup, the meeting corners of said walls providing air circulation channels about that end of the eg placed in the cup. When the egg is placed in the cup and has the eight point support on the walls I1 and IS, the bottom extremity of the egg will be spaced slightly above the bottom 28 of each cup, as best appears in Fig. 2.

With the egg supported at the eight points or areas mentioned, it cannot readily rock in its cell and at the same t me a relatively free circulation of air is afforded about the bottom end of the egg.

It will be understood that Fig. 1 shows but a part or fragment of the face of the entire pad,

the complete pad'being approximately 11 /2 inches square and having six rows of egg seats, each row containing six egg seats, thus providing thirty-six egg seats on each pad. The appearance of the complete'pa'd will be readily understood from the fragmentary illustration.

After eggs have been placed in all the cells associated with seats of the first pad, another pad is placed upon the top edges of the strips of the filler with the top marginal parts adjacent the intersection ofsaid strips engaged in-the intersecting parts of the downwardly facing grooves 4 13-43 as formed by the hollow ribs lI-l l. Thus the pad and the eggs contained in the seats or cups I6 are supported from the filler below upon the strongest pressure resisting parts of the filler and which are the intersecting parts of the strips thereof.

Additional sets of intersecting fillers and associated pads are used until there are five layers of eggs, thirty-six eggs per pad layer. At the top of the stack a final pad is positioned, preferably with the egg seats facing upwardly as in the other pads. However, under certain conditions, such for example as when the eggs in the top layer are relatively small, the upper pad may be inverted i. e. with the egg seats facing downwardly.

In any event, irrespective of which way the seats face, the interlocking feature between parts of the edges of the filler strips and parts of the pad is maintained. Thus the lower edge portions of the filler strips on the top side of each pad are confined within the channels 22 between adjacent egg seats and in the channels formed between certain sides of the egg seats and hollow ribs or shoulder parts 23. Also the top edges of the filler strips on the underside of any given pad are received in the channels I3-l3 formed by the hollow ribs llll.

With the seats arranged as described, there is provided relatively deep inverted pockets into which the top end of the eggs on the pad below may project as apparent from Fig. 5. Thus long eggs may be accommodated as readily as the shorter ones.

In viewing the seats it from above, as in Fig. 1, it is to be noted that the continuity of the pairs of walls is broken up by the substantially radiating junctions thereof. Thus they cannot roll inwardly under a downward pressure and collapse because said junctions function as bracing struts. Hence, the cups or seats afford great resistance to collapse under pressure and the eggs are better protected against breakage.

The structure described is such that it can be readily made by means of foraminous dies in connection with Vacuum apparatus available in the ground pulp moulding art since there are no holes in the pad and since the pad material at every point is of the same thickness.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the novel pad has among other the following advantages:

Ihe octagonal egg cup or seat has eight fiat areas for engagement with the egg providing eight equally spaced ventilating channels allowing a free circulation'of air around the egg.

The octagonal egg cup or seat provides a structure of greater strength and will withstand a greater downward pressure before collapsing.

The arrangement of the octagonal cups is such that there is provide'd,'on the upper face of the pad, channels of substantial length defined by flat faces on one side of adjacent egg cups bottomed by the'saddles on which the lower edges of the filler strips rest. There'i's thus provided a very substantial overall support for the bottom edges of the filler strips which prevent the same from cutting through the saddles. Similar support is also provided by the saddle areas between 1 the upstanding hollow shoulder-like parts 23-23.

The filler strips being thus confined are prevented from lateral shifting, being firmly confined or limited by the said opposed fiat faces of the adjacent cups where they meet the saddle parts and the said fiat faces and the hollow shoulder'parts with'respect tothe outer sides of the egg cups immediately adjacentthe outer edges or sides of the pad.

able to receive the top edges of the filler strips which in the assembly enter such channel areas. In the aggregate there is thus provided a large area of interengagement between the top edges prevented because, tom edges of the as before explained, the botsame fillers are engaged and While the pad has a number of improved features lending greater strength, improved egg receiving and holding capacity, it is of such design it can be used in a standard egg case with standtherefore I do not Wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A packing material for use in connection 2. A packing materialforuse in connection wardly opening channel-like portion for supporting and holding against lateral shifting bottom marginal portions of the outer strips of the upper filler.

lower filler, upon which supported.

4. A packing material for use in connection with upper and lower fillers comprising intersecting spaced hollow rib portions, said hollow rib portions and connected saddle portions being disposed in the pattern of the fillers, and defining longitudinal and transversely extending rows of square areas in said body portion, means rising from and forming in each of said areas an octagonally shaped egg receiving seat, which seats register with the cells formed by the fillers, each seat including alternate and intermediate pairs of oppositely inclined inner and outer walls' that join as a ridge for the top of the seat, the alter nate pairs of walls extending parallel with said ribs and being interconnected by said saddle portions and the intermediate pairs of walls extending diagonally of said ribs, the outer walls of the alternate pairs of said walls oi said seats merging into parts of the rib therebetween and coacting with the upper surface portions thereof in forming upwardly opening channel-like portions for supporting and holding against lateral shifting the bottom marginal portions of the strips of the upper filler between the intersections thereof, and parts of said hollow ribs between the first mentioned parts thereof defining between each four adjacent seats, downwardly opening intersecting channel-like portions for receiving and holding against lateral shifting the intersecting top marginal portion of the strips of the lower filler upon which the pad is engaged and supported.

5. A packing material for use in connection with. upper and lower fillers comprising intersecting cell forming strips, said material being in the form of an eventhickness moulded pulp pad having a sheet-like body portion, means providing spaced longitudinal and transverse intersecting hollow rib portions on the upper face of the body portion, and elevated saddle portions uniting spaced hollow rib portions, said hollow rib portions and connected saddle portions being disposed in the pattern of the fillers, and defining longitudinal and transversely extending rows of square areas in said body portion, means rising from and forming in each of said areas an octagonally shaped egg receiving seat, which seats register with the cells formed by the fillers, each seat including alternate and intermediate pairs of oppositely inclined inner and outer walls that join as a ridge for the top of the seat, the alternate pairs of walls extending parallel with said ribs and the intermediate pairs of walls extending diagonally of said ribs, the outer walls of the alternate pairs of said walls of said seats merging into parts of the ribs therebetween and coacting with the upper surface portions thereof in forming upwardly opening channel-like portions for supporting and holding against lateral shifting the bottom marginal portions of the strips of the upper filler between the intersections thereof, and parts of said hollow ribs between the first mentioned parts thereof defining between each four adjacent seats, downwardly opening intersecting channel-like portions for receiving and holding against lateral shifting the intersecting top marginal portion of the strips of the lower filler upon which the pad is engaged and supported, and means associated with parts of the outer ribs adjacent the edges of the body parts and extending parallel therewith and providing shoulder portions rising from said parts of said ribs for'holding bottom marginal parts of the outer strips of the upper filler against lateral shifting.

WILLIAM J. DE REAMERv 

